Aug 3, 2014Corey Hilmas, MD, PhD, Natural Products Association

Jun 6, 2014

Greentech has developed new actives from the synergies between botanicals and microorganisms. At in-cosmetics in Hamburg, the company introduced two ranges of actives: Probiophytes and Ferment’Actives.

According to Organic Monitor, the growing array of green actives is spurring innovation in the beauty and cosmetics industry, and the organization is finding that novel green ingredients also are bringing fresh technical challenges with them.

Where does the formulation chemist begin when facing a marketing request for a product stamped with a “natural” label claim? The first step is to identify the certifying organization or government under which the formulation is to be sold, followed by the choice of preservatives. The basic approach to composing natural products is outlined here.

In Europe, the natural and organic cosmetics market has grown despite the economic downturn. Consumers are increasingly concerned about skin care ingredients they see as posing potential health risks, due in large part to media hype. This has led many to look for natural ingredients on product labels.

Aug 1, 2013Arthur Georgalas, Georgalas Endeavors

Formulators of natural personal care products have the same lament as Kermit the Frog—i.e., “It’s not easy being green.” So before proceeding into the ever-unpredictable product development process, claims must be established as to what the final product aims to fulfill—especially in order to direct efforts toward the desired “green” claim for sustainable, natural, organic, etc.

Dec 12, 2012Art Georgalas, Georgalas Endeavors

This column proposes that the current natural and organic hair conditioner market can de divided into two types—those that are effective but use technology considered suspect under most natural certifications, i.e., “greenwashed,” and those that are more compliant with natural and organic certification but are found by consumers to have performance gaps

In this article, several ingredients are reviewed for development of sustainable shampoo formulations. Some of the functional ingredients reviewed are plant-based alternatives to existing, petro sourced ingredients while others are mild, sulfate-free and/ or ethoxylate-free alternatives to existing surfactant systems, thickening solutions for challenging media based on naturally derived polymers and efficacy boosters that reduce the use of non-renewable actives with equal benefit for the consumer.

Aug 1, 2011Katie Anderson (Schaefer), Cosmetics & Toiletries magazine

Nearly a year and a half ago, Ilya Raskin, PhD, a professor II in the department of plant biology and pathology at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, stumbled upon a possible solution to creating an efficacious, cost-effective natural product using plant proteins commonly found in food when he isolated the beneficial compounds in blueberry juice while leaving out ancillary materials.

Apr 1, 2011Art Georgalas, Georgalas Endeavors LLC

Today, hair care formulators aiming to formulate for the natural market are in a quandary as the performance of modern products is driven more and more by the use of innovative new synthetic materials.

Feb 1, 2011Arthur Georgalas, Georgalas Endeavors

When formulating skin care with natural ingredients the first question to ask is: With which definition of natural will the product conform? The definition might be significantly different for the general public than for consumers following lifestyles of health and sustainability (LOHAS) philosophies.

Oct 1, 2009Eric S. Abrutyn, TPC2 Advisors Ltd., Inc.

Since the cosmetics and personal care industry is not regulated, various organizations have offered conflicting positions on standardized guidelines for natural and organic claims. To improve communication on this topic, it will therefore become important to dissociate claims regarding the naturalness of ingredients from the perception of safety.

The present review summarizes the current knowledge of vernix caseosa and discusses the underlying principles by which vernix caseosa operates; this can be applied in moisturizing and barrier-enhancing products, although the proteolipid biofilm itself cannot be used directly on the human body. The most important characteristic of vernix caseosa is its controlled degree of occlusivity—neither too much nor too little.

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